126 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



at maturity contains only one subbasilar ascending ovule with its 

 micropyle downwards and outwards, inserted on the lower part of 

 one of the two parietal placentas. The other placenta remains 

 sterile. 1 The fruit is a little drupe, whose skin finally dries up ; the 



Fumaria officinalis. 



Fig. 164. 

 Fruit (f ). 



Fig. 159. 



Fig. 161. 



Fig. 160. 



Flower (f). Flower, perianth Long. sect, of 

 removed. flower. 



Fig. 165. 



Long. sect, 

 of fruit. 



stone contains a single seed. The Fumitories are glaucous herbs, 

 often annual, erect and much branched, or climbing. In leaves and 

 inflorescence they resemble Corydalis. Half a dozen species are 

 known," inhabitants of Europe, Asia, North and South Africa, 

 Australia, and North and South America. 



The Papcweracea were made a distinct class, even in the list of 



decurrent spear into the hollow of the gibbous 

 petal, like that of the androceuin of the Violet. 

 The form of the pollen grains is very remarkable 

 both in Fumaria and Corydalis (see H. Mohl, 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 2, iii. 32G) ; it is poly- 

 hedral, or else spherical, with very large pro- 

 minent papillae that make it look polyhedral. 

 Thus in Fumaria officinalis and Alexaudrina, 

 and Corydalis capreolata, they form viscid opaque 

 spheres, with six or twelve regularly arranged 

 papilla?. In F. nohilis they bear three narrow 

 bands. In C. lutea and sempervirens they are 

 divided by narrow bands, " like a cube, triangular 

 prism, or tetradon ;" in F. spicata, " like a pen- 

 tagonal dodecahedron." The grains of F. offi- 

 cinalis have the general form of a cube with the 

 angles rounded ofi\ If one of the faces is pre- 



sented to the observer four large papillae are seen, 

 forming a sort of hemispherical cap to each angle, 

 with a sort of ring round the base. Nearer the 

 centre of the face, and within these papillae, are 

 seen not more than four similar ones. 



1 Or if at first it bears a few ovules, their 

 development is soon arrested, like those on the 

 fertile placenta that do not reach maturity. 



2 Reichb., Ic. Fl. Germ., iii. t. 1-4. — Boiss., 

 Fl. Or., i. 132.— Harv. & Sond., FL Cap., i. 

 18. — Habt., Thes. Cap., t. 10 (JDiscocapnos). — 

 A. Gray, Man., 28. — Eichl., in Mart. Fl. Bras., 

 Fapav.,3l9.—C. Gay, Fl. Chil., i. 103.— Oliv., 

 Fl. Trop. Afr., i. 55.— Gren. & Godr., Fl. de 

 Fr., i. 66. — Walp., Rep., v. 23 (Discocapnos) ; 

 Ann., ii. 27 ; iv. 178 ; vii. 92. 



